South Africa In The Global Economy

Focuses on the place of Southern Africa in the globalized economy. Identifies the overall economic trends in the African continent and the responses, required and actual, to the impact of an increasingly interdependent world economy.

Over the past 20 years the global political economy has experienced its most profound shifts since the onset of the industrial revolution. In South Africa and the World, Mills Soko reflects on some of the salient issues that have pervaded public discourse during this time, analysing them within the context of the contemporary South African political economy and of the country's position in the world. Arranged thematically, the essays were all written during a defining period in recent history, a period that has witnessed, among others, the accession of China to the WTO, the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US, the invention of the iPad, the birth of Facebook, the 2008/9 global financial crisis, Brexit and the global coronavirus pandemic which began at the end of 2019. The turbulent multipolar world demands visionary political and economic leadership, supported by institutions well attuned to contemporary conditions. Such leadership is in short supply. Nor is the existing institutional architecture sufficiently equipped to deal with a complex array of economic, social, environmental, technological and demographic challenges. Mills Soko highlights what has not worked in terms of politics, leadership, foreign policy, the economy, the African development trajectory, corporate ethics, international trade, global governance, and the thread which underlies all these issues – the importance of strong, decisive and accountable leadership. He counters his criticism with what has worked and offers views on how some of the problems that have constrained progress in South Africa and the world can be solved. A central message emerges from his writings: leadership and governance matter, whether in the national or international context. It is a message that permeates all the chapters in the book. And it goes to the heart of what South Africa has gone through over the past two decades and where it is today.

The dismantling of the apartheid regime in South Africa caused massive transformation in both geographical and economic terms, not only in this country but also in the region as a whole. As the post-apartheid government enters its second term, this captivating volume assesses its progress in unravelling the geography of apartheid, both in South Africa itself and in its relationships with other countries in Southern Africa and Africa. It also considers the ways in which South Africa, now that it is no longer a pariah state, has begun to position itself within the current global economy. Examining South Africa’s land and agriculture, mining and minerals, manufacturing, tourism, corporate finance, the labour market and transport, the volume discusses the challenges of balancing growth and redistribution, the extent and nature of progress, change and relationships within the regional and global economy. A compelling investigation into the economics of South Africa's neighbouring states in relation to their natural resources, colonialism and inter-relationships with themselves and with South Africa leads to a focus on the region as a whole and its relations with the global economy.

This book highlights the key issues, opportunities and challenges facing African firms, industries, cities and nations in their quest to compete successfully in the global economy. Exploring a topic which has grown in importance as Africa faces a period of subdued economic development, this edited collection takes a unique multi-disciplinary, multi-industry and multi-country approach. The authors provide insights into a broad range of issues, including competitiveness measurement and evaluation, sectoral competitiveness of declining and emerging industries, threats of the ‘Dutch Disease,’ and talent competitiveness. This timely book offers a response to the urgent need for the diversification of economies and the advancement of manufacturing in Africa, appealing to scholars of international business and economics.

Mshomba (economics, La Salle University) analyzes the role of international trade in Africa, focusing on four central issues: the trade policies of the sub-Saharan African countries; the impact of GATT and the WTO; the impact of GATT/WTO agreements; and the viability of regional economic integration as a strategy for trade and development. He combines rigorous theoretical analysis with an empirical approach that gives attention to experiences of individual countries and particular institutional settings. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This volume chronicles the volatile history of the resurgence of South Africa, once an international pariah, as a respected and influential African state. Once an international pariah, South Africa has emerged as a respected and influential African state, projecting its economic and political power across the continent. South Africa and the World Economy: Remaking Race, State, and Region chronicles the volatile history of this resurgence, from the nation's rise as an industrialized, white state and subsequent decline as a newly underdeveloped country to its current standing as a leading member of theGlobal South. Departing from much of the latest scholarship, which examines South Africa as a discrete national case, this volume places the country in the global social system, analyzing its relationships with the colonial powersand white settlers of the early twentieth century, the costs of the neoliberal alliances with the North, and the more recent challenges from the East. This approach offers a bold reinterpretation of South Africa's developmental successes and failures over the last century -- as well as clear yet contentious lessons for the present. William G. Martin is chair of the Department of Sociology at Binghamton University, coeditor of From Toussaintto Tupac: The Black International since the Age of Revolution, and coauthor of Making Waves: Worldwide Social Movements, 1760-2005.